The present, herein in detail described invention has been constructed, and has been tested at the beginning of the 1987 skiing season at the Goldmine Ski-Resort at Big Bear Lake, Calif. During the conducted tests, it has been found, that the device of the present invention operates satisfactory at marginal climatic condition while producing an adequate amount of good quality, artificial snow at a relative low air to water consumption rate. It should be mentioned, that, due to the extreme high cost of compressing air, the lowering of the relative air to water consumption rate is a most important factor in producing artificial snow.
Devices for the making of artificial snow have been known to exist, such e.g. one with the U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,013; or the device described in detail in our U.S. Patent filed on July 16, 1987, having the U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,503.
The devices of the prior art, while being thought of an sufficient for the making of artificial snow, are however, subject to certain limitation. Such as e.g. a high rate of air to water consumption; and the high noise level being produced in the spontaneous decompression of the compressed air to atmospheric pressure which is generated subsequent to exit from the device incorporated projecting nozzle.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide the means for lowering the relative air to water consumption rate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the means for achieving a more evenly sized formation of water droplets, thereby reducing waste by colloidal suspension to fine of water droplets in the atmosphere.
A further object of the present invention is to provide the means for reducing the noise level associated with the spontaneous, radial outward decompression of the compressed air subsequent to exit from the device's exit orifice.
The features which we belive to be characteristic of the present invention, both as to their organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description in combination with the accompanying drawings which we have chosen for purpose of explaining the basic concept of the invention, it is to be clearly understood, however, that the invention is capable of being implemented into other forms and embodiments within the scope of the present invention by those skilled in the art, such as e.g. the way by which the radially inward and slightly downstream angled water induction tubes are fastened to the water distribution jacket, and the geometrical shape of the well rounded exit orifice, which in the drawing is not to scale.